Storied rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants met on Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium in another matchup featuring Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. The two aces started against one another on April 9, though neither earned a decision in the Dodgers’ extra-innings win.
Kershaw retired the Giants in order in the first inning, including striking out Joe Panik swinging. Kiké Hernandez didn’t take long to add to his career success against Bumgarner, as he drilled the left-hander’s first pitch for a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first.
Adrian Gonzalez hit a one-out single, but was stranded by Justin Turner and Howie Kendrick. Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt and Matt Duffy failed to reach base in the second inning, with Duffy going down looking.
Bumgarner broke up Kershaw’s perfect game with a one-out base hit in the third inning that landed one step in front of Hernandez. Kershaw was then let down by his defense as Kendrick’s error on a chopper put a second runner on with one out. Angel Pagan followed with a single to right that loaded the bases.
After Panik fouled out, San Francisco tied the game on a ball that was up and in to Buster Posey and went for a wild pitch. Hernandez then helped his pitcher out by making a diving catch on a Posey sinking liner to end the inning.
Hernandez hit a second home run off Bumgarner in the bottom of the third, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0. To that point, the utility man was a lifetime 9-for-15 with three doubles and three home runs against the Giants’ ace.
CONTINUE READING: Kiké Hernandez adds to big night
Kershaw tossed a 1-2-3 fourth inning, getting back-to-back strikeouts of Belt and Duffy in the process. A Turner walk and Kendrick single to center put runners on first and second with none out in the bottom of the fourth.
Ellis hit a grounder to Kelby Tomlinson that he booted and then threw high to first base. Charlie Culberson stepped in with the bases full and slapped a two-run single into right field. Kershaw then reached on a Panik error, which once again loaded the bases.
Hernandez turned on the first pitch he saw, pulling a two-run double inside of third base to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 6-1 before Bumgarner could get out of the inning. Kershaw retired the side in order in the fifth, running his strikeout total on the night to five.
Pagan and Panik opened the sixth with back-to-back singles. Both runners then advanced on a Posey grounder to the right side. Kershaw’s second wild pitch of the game allowed another run to come across, trimming the Dodgers’ lead to 6-2.
Friday marked the fifth game of Kershaw’s career with two wild pitches, and his first since 2012. In addition, it was the first time Kershaw wild-pitched two runs in a game. Pence lined the ninth pitch of his at-bat for a two-run single, pulling the Giants to within two runs of the Dodgers.
After A.J. Ellis led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, he came around to score on Culberson’s RBI single. Having already thrown 93 pitches, Kershaw took the mound in the seventh and retired the side in order.
Turner hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the inning as Pence came up empty on a diving catch attempt. Giants rookie reliever Derek Law otherwise struck out the side to prevent the Dodgers from adding to their lead.
Chris Hatcher and Joe Blanton combined for two scoreless innings of relief to seal the Dodgers’ 7-3 win. The victory put Los Angeles one-half game ahead of the Colorado Rockies, and a full game in front of the Giants for first place in the National League West.